The World Economic Forum has released its Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, identifying a dangerous triad of threats that are fundamentally reshaping the global risk landscape. Developed in collaboration with Accenture, the comprehensive study highlights how artificial intelligence, geopolitical fragmentation, and cyber-enabled fraud have converged to create unprecedented challenges for organizations worldwide.

AI Emerges as Fastest-Growing Cybersecurity Risk

Artificial intelligence has emerged as the most rapidly evolving threat category, with significant implications for global cybersecurity. The study reveals concerning trends in AI-related vulnerabilities and their accelerating impact on organizational security.

The report indicates that organizations are responding to these challenges by nearly doubling their AI security assessments, demonstrating growing awareness of the risks associated with artificial intelligence deployment.

Geopolitical Fragmentation Reshapes Security Strategies

Geopolitical tensions are increasingly influencing cybersecurity strategies across organizations globally. The study shows how geopolitically motivated attacks have become a central consideration for risk management frameworks.

Confidence levels in national cyber incident management capabilities vary dramatically across regions, ranging from 84% in the Middle East and North Africa to just 13% in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Cyber-Enabled Fraud Becomes Pervasive Global Threat

Cyber-enabled fraud has emerged as one of the most disruptive forces affecting the digital economy. The study reveals the widespread impact of fraudulent activities and their growing prominence in executive concerns.

Key fraud impact indicators include:

• 73% of respondents were directly affected by fraud or knew someone who was in 2025
• CEOs now rank fraud and phishing ahead of ransomware as their primary concern
• Supply chain vulnerabilities continue to pose systemic risks to organizations

"As cyber risks become more interconnected and consequential, cyber-enabled fraud has emerged as one of the most disruptive forces in the digital economy, undermining trust, distorting markets and directly affecting people's lives," said Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director at WEF.

Systemic Vulnerabilities and Growing Inequities

The report highlights significant disparities in cybersecurity capabilities across different organizational sizes and geographic regions. Supply chain dependencies have created new systemic vulnerabilities that amplify risk exposure.

Paolo Dal Cin, global lead for Accenture Cybersecurity, emphasized that "the weaponization of AI, persistent geopolitical friction and systemic supply chain risks are upending traditional cyber defences."

Collaborative Solutions for Enhanced Resilience

The study calls for coordinated action across governments, businesses, and technology providers to address these interconnected challenges. Experts emphasize the importance of responsible AI deployment and international cooperation in cybersecurity efforts.

Josephine Teo, Singapore's Minister for Digital Development and Information, noted that "governments need a forward-looking and collaborative approach to ensure AI enhances cyber resilience while minimizing risks that increasingly transcend borders." The report advocates for sharing intelligence, aligning standards, and investing in collective capabilities to create a more secure digital environment for all organizations.

Global cooperation has demonstrated remarkable resilience despite facing unprecedented geopolitical headwinds, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Cooperation Barometer 2026 released on Thursday. However, the study reveals that cooperation levels remain insufficient to address critical global challenges spanning economic, security, and environmental domains.

Study Methodology and Key Findings

The barometer, now in its third year and developed in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, employed 41 metrics to evaluate worldwide cooperation across five distinct pillars. The comprehensive assessment framework provides insights into the evolving nature of global collaboration.

Evolving Cooperation Landscape

While overall cooperation levels have remained largely unchanged in recent years, the composition of global collaboration is undergoing significant transformation. Traditional multilateral avenues have weakened, giving way to innovative, smaller collaborative arrangements that often operate within and between specific regions.

The study identified that progress on global priorities gains the greatest momentum when it aligns with national interests. This alignment has been particularly evident in climate and nature initiatives, as well as innovation and technology sectors, both experiencing relatively strong increases in cooperation.

Climate and Technology Cooperation Advances

Climate and natural capital cooperation has grown substantially, though it still falls short of meeting global environmental goals. Trade in low-carbon goods emerged as a major growth engine for global cooperation, with global supply chains enabling manufacturers to achieve scale and reduce prices.

Specific examples of successful cooperation include:

• India adding the second-most solar capacity after China
• Brazil gaining access to affordable solar modules and accelerating installations
• Enhanced collaboration in critical technologies among select country groups

Security Challenges Intensify

Peace and security cooperation continued its downward trajectory, with every tracked metric falling below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. The security landscape has deteriorated significantly, characterized by escalating conflicts, rising military spending, and struggling global multilateral resolution mechanisms.

By 2024, the number of forcibly displaced people reached a record 123 million globally, highlighting the severity of current security challenges. However, growing pressures are creating momentum for increased cooperation through regional peacekeeping mechanisms.

Leadership Perspective

"Amid one of the most volatile and uncertain periods in decades, cooperation has shown resilience," stated WEF President and CEO Borge Brende. He emphasized that while cooperation today differs from previous approaches, collaborative strategies remain essential for wise economic growth, responsible innovation acceleration, and preparation for future uncertainties.

Brende highlighted that flexible, nimble, and purpose-driven approaches are most likely to withstand current turbulence and deliver meaningful results. The study demonstrates that even in sensitive areas involving technology and resource flows, aligned partners are deepening their cooperative relationships, suggesting adaptation rather than abandonment of collaborative principles.